Building lags behind 2007 records for the first six months of 2008.

Blame it on the sub-prime housing mortgage crisis, high gas prices or whatever: the facts are Austin is in a building slump.

According to the Austin city engineering department, the city issued 71 permits in June for an estimated $2.9 million in construction projects.

That pushed the year-to-date totals to 291 building permits for an estimated $6.7 million in construction projects.

Compare those figures to those recorded by the city engineering department a year ago.

Through the first six months of 2007, the city issued 322 permits for an estimated $20 million in construction projects.

One big permit can make a difference, such as the new Wal-Mart store along 18th Avenue Northwest, but 31 fewer permits and $13.7 million less in construction value of the projects indicates a building slump and not a boom.

The city’s report on the Jan. 1 through June 30 period showed 18 commercial addition, alteration or repair permits issued for an estimated $1.3 million construction value.

A year ago, 27 permits were issued in the first six months of 2007 for an estimated $2.9 million.

Three educational building alteration, addition or repair permits were issued through June for an estimated $1.2 million.

Housing is the bread and butter of the construction trade industry.

In June, the city issued four new residence permits for an estimated $532,000.

That’s six new homes in the first six months of 2008 built for an estimated $810,000.

A year ago at this time there were 13 housing starts in Austin for $2 million.

In other areas of the city’s building report, it showed:

158 heating permits issued in the first six months of 2008 compared to 174 a year ago.

77 plumbing permits were issued in the first six months of 2008 compared to 113 a year ago at this time.

605 total permits were issued through June 2008 compared to 700 a year ago. These totals reflect all permits: building, heating, plumbing, moving, zoning and others.